Sealing machine for jars, tumblers, and the like



July 6 1926. 1,591,532

H. INGRAM SEALING MACHINE FOR JARS, TUM BLERS, AND THE LIKE Filed Feb.23, 1922 S Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORI def/W 4 4/29 ATTORNDEY.

July 6 ,1926. 1,591,532

H. INGRAM 4 smmne momma FOR JARS, TUMBLERS, AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25.1922 :5 Sheets-Sheet 5 U I U u U Q U U U U 0 U Z9 4 4 2 j I 1 I Iiii-5.: 1::111

, fla/r/ i srkm.

'BY L Mw ATTORNEY,

Patented July 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY III'GRAI, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ABSIGNOR TO -HAZEL-A'1LA8 GLASSCOMPANY, 01 WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

smma uacnmn iron JARS, romnmas, AND mm mm.

a ucamn filed February 2a, 1922. Serial No. 588,807.

The invention relates tov machines for applying sealin caps to jars,tumblers and the like usua ly containing food products. In the use ofmany of the machines, the jars containing their products and with thecaps loosely placed thereon are introduced into a chamber below avertically movable head and thereupon the air is exhausted from thechamber and jars, whereupon the said head is depressed against the capson the jars to force said caps to sealing position, after which air isadmitted to the chamber with the result that the atmospheric airpressure on the caps preponderating over the reduced pressure or partialvacuum within the jars effectually retains the caps securely upon thejars, as in the vacuum process of sealing jars and the like.

Very great difficulties have constantly arisen in meeting with uniformsuccess in carrying on the vacuum process of sealing jars and also inapplying the caps commercially to jars in the absence of the vacu umprocess, due to the imperfections and lack of uniformity in the jarsthemselves,

said jars varying in height and having slanted lip edges and otherimperfections when intended to be perfectly uniform in every particular.The difficulties referred to arising from the irregularities in the jarsare well understood and have beenand are a source of considerable lossand annoyance. The purpose of my invention is to provide a sealing heador platen for use in the vacuum chamber of sealing machines which willrender the action of the machine uniformly successful regardless of theusual imperfections and irregularities in the jars to be capped andsealed.

In accordance with my invention, in the preferred construction, Iprovide a hollow head containing oil or other flowable or dis placeablesubstance and equipped with a series of vertical plungers all exposed attheir upper ends to the oil and carrying at their lower ends individualplatens to independently engage and press the caps onto the jars, eachplunger, with its platen, being independently yieldable vertically andotherwise to the jar below the same and adapted 'to press the cap ontothe jar with proper seating effect even though the jar be less orgreaterin height than its companion jars as, for illustration,twenty-four jars at a" time, or on all the jars that may be accommodatedin the sealing chamber of the machine. My invention is also applicableof use in machines in which jars are singly or in small multiplescapped,and also in machines in which caps are applied without the employment ofthe vacuum process.

The head of my invention possesses many features of novelty andpractical advantage, and said invention will be fully understood fromthe detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

" Fig. 1 is a top elevation, partly in section and partly broken away,of a head constructed' in accordance with and embodying my invention,the sectional portion of Fig. 1 being on the dotted line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same, taken on thedotted line Fig. 5 is a Sectional view, partly broken away, through aportion of the same, taken on the dotted line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a portion of a head of modifiedconstruction embodying some of the features of my invention.

In the drawings, 10 designates the head as a whole, 11 a tray employedto support the individual jars and to be inserted into the vacuumchamber of a sealing machine with the jars properly positioned withrespect to said he: l, and 12 a rod of the character usually employedfor the elevation and depression of the head 10, the tray 11 being ofusual type and having sockets 13 to re.

- presenting a top 15, vertical sides and ends 16 defining a rectangularoutline and a bottom 17 in which is formed a series of verticalcylinders 18 which are open at their upper and lower ends and connectedin longitudinal series by vertical studs 19 which\ are integral with thetop 15 and bottom 17. The studs 19 are of rectangular crosssection', asshown in Fig. 1, and are between and integral with the cylinders 18. Thecylinders 18 have plain vertical walls, as shown in Fig. 3, and withineach of these cylinders is located a piston head 20- equipped with apacking ring 21 and cupped piston proper 22, the piston 22 hugging thewalls of the cylinder 18 and the ring 2]. serving to keep said cuppedpiston in firm engagement with said walls. Each piston head 20 hassecured to its lower side a deending body portion or neck 23 which islield securely pressed against the bottom of the cupped piston 22 bymeans of a screw or bolt 24, and the neck or body portion 23 of eachpiston has secured to its lower end a metal disk 25 which is faced onits lower surface with a disk of rubber or the like 26. The disk 25 isfastened to the neck or body-portion 23 by means of screws 27 whoseheads are counter-sunk within the lower surface of the disk 25 andconcealed by the rubber disk 26. The disk 25 and rubber disk 26 areformed with central vertical aligned-openings 28, 29, respectively, asshown in Fig. 3. Each cylinder 18 is thus provided with a plungercomposed of the piston head 20, cup-piston 22, neck or body 23, disk 25and facing disk 26, and each plunger is independent of all the otherplungers of the head 10, and all of these plungers are alike and each isfitted to one of the cylinders 18. In the head shown there are,therefore twenty-four cylinders 18 and twenty-four of the plungers, oneplunger being confined to each cylinder.

Within the head 10 above all of the plungers and cylinder and about theupper portions of said cylinders and the lugs 19 is a chamber 30 withinwhich I place oil or other fiowable or displaceable substance 31upwardly against which all of the plungers act when the head 10 isfinally lowered to' press the caps 32 securely upon the jars 14, aspointed out more fully hereinafter.

On the bottom of the head 10 is secured -a plate 33which has freeopenings 34 in it to accommodate the neck portions or bodies leftbetween the inner edges of said openings. 34 and the exterior surfacesof said necks 23, as shown in Fig. 3. The late 33 may be of sheet metaland fastene to the head 10 by means of screws, as indicated in Fig. 2.The openings 34 in the plate 33 are of less diameter than the flanges 35and disks 25 and thus the escape of the plungers when assembled, fromthe cylinders is prevented. When it is-desired to remove the plungersfrom the head 10, the plate 33 may be detached and thereupon all of theplungers may be withdrawn downwardly from the cylinders 18. In applyingthe plungers to the head 10, said plungers, less the .disks 25, 26, willbe inserted into the cylinders and thereafter the plate 33 will besecured in position and after that the disks 25, 26 will be fastened tothe lower ends ofthe necks 23.

The head 10 will be equipped with a suitable filling orifice 36, which,after the oil or other substance has been introduced into the chamber30, will be closed by means of a plug 37 of ordinary type.

The lower end .of each neck 23 of the plungers is formed with a shallowgroove 38 indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4 and solid lines inFig. 5, and this groove 38 crosses the openings 28, 29 in the respectivedisks 25, 26 and cooperates therewith in preventing the formation ofeither an air cushion or a vacuum within said openings 28, 29 when theplungers are depressed against the caps on the jars under conditions inwhich the sealing is being effected in the absence of a vacuum. In casesin which the vacuum process is being followed, the presence of thegrooves 38 and openings 28, 29 in the disks 25, 26 permits the entranceof atmospheric air to the tops of the caps, while the plungers are intheir lower position pressing the caps onto the jars, this atmosphericair being permitted to reach the caps after the first stages of thevacuum sealing process have been completed and air is permitted to enterthe vacuum chamber for finally securing the caps by atmospheric pressureupon the jars.

The oil 31 should not completely fill the chamber 30 in the head [0 whenall of the plungers are in their lowermost position, but should fillsaid chamber 30 when the piston heads and pistons 22 are in about theirmidway position in the cylinders 18. The practice I follow inintroducing the oil 31 into the chamber 30 and to obtain the mostadvantageous results. is by moving one-half of the number of plungers totheir lowermost position and the other half of the number of plungers totheir uppermost position and then entirely fill the chamber 30 with theoil, this method permitting of a proper quantity of oil to be introducedwithin the chamber 30 for securing an equalization of pressure on all ofthe piston heads 20 during I the use of the machine. The flanges 35 onthe necks 23 cooperating with the plate 33, limit the downward movementof the plungers, and the disks 25 cooperating with the plate 33, limitthe upward movement of said plungers. After the chamber has been filledwith oil in the manner described, the first depression of the head 10against. the jars 14 will result in all of the plungers tak- 1ng theiroperative positions, the plungers which had been lowered to theirextreme limit then moving upwardly and causing the oil to act againstthe plungers which had been moved to their upper position and causingsaid plungers to descend, the result being that all of the plum ers willtake their operative positions an act uniformly against the series ofcaps 32 on the jars 14 even though said jars may present irregularitiesas to height and lip formation.

In the employment of the invention the jars or tumblers 14 will beplaced upon the tray 11, and the tray introduced into the vacuum chamberof the sealing chamber of the cap-applying and sealing machine in thecustomary manner, the tray 11 being so placed in said chamber that theseries of ars or tumblers 14 are in vertical alignment with and belowthe disks 26 forming a part of the plungers. If the machine should be avacuum-sealing machine the air will be exhausted from the aforesaidchamber, as usual, and thereupon the head 10 will be caused to lower andfirmly press all pf the caps 32 upon the tumblers or jars 14.

After this stage of the process has been completed atmospheric air willbe admitted to the chamber, the head 10 will be elevated and the chamberwill be opened, and the tray 11, with the tumblers or jars thereon,removed. The main point of the present invention resides in the factthat the plungers are capable of independent action and of accommodatingthemselves to the height of the tumblers or jars even though the jars ortumblers lack uniformity in height or possess other irregularities inthe lip formation thereof. If all of the jars or 'tum-' blers 14 shouldbe precisely alike, all of the plungers will have a uniform movement,but-this ideal condition is rarely met with, and hence the head 10 isadapted for jars which lack uniformity in height and othercharacteristics. Some of the jars 14 may be of one height and others ofa different height. and to effectually seal all of the jars regardlessof this condition, is the object of the present invention. If we assumethat the jars 14 vary in height and the head 10 is caused to descend,the pressure exerted by the higher jars on the certain plungers abovethem, will cause said plungers to move slightly upward, and the resultof this is that these plungers will displace to some extent the oil orother liquid above'them and the other plungers held up by the other jarsdue to the displacement of the oil and the surplus passin above andacting against the piston of sai plunger. If one-half of the ars 14scattered about should be less in height than the remaining jars, theplungers a ove said remaining jars, by bein caused to move upwardlyagainst the liqui to a greater extent than the plungers above the lowerjars, will displace the liquidfrom above them to above the plungersabove the lower jars and not only permit said plungers to reach thelower jars but apply the caps thereon with the same degree of ressurethat the caps are applied on the tal er jars. If any of the jars shouldhave an inclined lip edge instead of a true horizontal edge, theplungers will properly apply the caps upon them since in that instancethe plungers may tilt to a sufficient extent to carry the disks 26against the whole lip of the jar and the liquid will exert a resistingpressure against the plunger to distribute an equal pressure on the capentirely around the lip of the jar.

My invention isnot limited to the head 10 adapted for the capping andsealing of any special number of jars at a time, and hence the head willbe adapted to the size of the machine in which it may be employed and beequipped with the requisite number of plungers consistent with the sizeof the machine. My invention is entirely useful for capping and sealingtwo or three jars at a time, or only one jar at a time, since in eithercase the plunger or plungers will yield to the irregularities of the jarand distribute an equal pressure around the lip edge of the same.

I do not illustrate in the drawings the details of a capping and sealingmachine whether of the vacuum or other type, since my invention pertainsto a sealing head applicable to many constructions of machines used forapplying the caps to jars.

I show in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive the preferred embodiment of myinvention, but I am aware that the invention is subject to modificationin many of its details, and therefore I do notdimit my invention to thedetails of form and construction further than the appended claims andthe prior art may require.

I prefer the employment of a fluid within the chamber 30 of the head 10,but with possibly less advantage the displaccable substance within thechamber of the head may consist of steel balls 40, as shown in Fig. 6,which presents a modification of my invention. When the steel balls 40are made use of the top of the piston head will be of cone-shape, as at41, and in this instance the cup packing 22 may be omitted. In Fig. 6,being a modification, I number the piston 41 and its neck 42, and uponthe lower end of this neck is secured the metal disk 43 and rubber disk44 corresponding with the disks 25, 26 of Fig. 3. When the piston 41 Iwith its disks 43, 44 descend upon a hi h jar while an adjacent piston41 with its dis s is descending on a low jar, the conical shape of thepiston above the high jar will dlsplace the balls to move above thepiston located above the low jar, and in that way the piston above thelow jar will be enabled to exert the same pressure on said jar that theother piston exerts against the high jar. The oil 31 or other easilyflowable liquid/or fluid is preferable to the use of the steel balls 40on account of its more readily flowable character and its adaptabilityto quickly distribute itself over the series of plungers in accordancewith the requirements of each plunger.

I believe my invention to be generically new and desire to receiveadequate protection therefor.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a platen-head for applyingcaps to jars and the like having therein a chamber confining a body offlowable substance displaceable to a limited extent therein, and aplurality of independent plungers depending from said head collectivelyexposed at their upper ends to said body of fiowable substance and at.their lower ends being adapted to independently engage and press thecaps onto the jars, said head having cyl inders for said plungers, andsaid plungers when the head is lowered to press them against the caps,being adapt-ed at. their upper ends to independently act against and becollectively acted on by said body of flowable substance, and saidplungers being independently capable of limited tilting action toaccommodate themselves to jars whose lip edges may be out of horizontal.

2. In a machine of the character described, a platen-head for applyingcaps to jars and the like having therein a chamber confining a body offiowable substance displaceable to a limited extent therein, and aplurality of independent plungers depending from said head exposed attheir upper ends to said substance and at their lower ends being adaptedto engage and press the caps onto the jars, said head having cylindersfor said plungers, and said plungers when the head is lowered to pressthem against the caps, being adapted at their up er ends toindependent-1y act against and e likewise acted on by said substance,and said plungers each consisting of an upper head, a neck dependingtherefrom and a presser-plate on the lower end of said neck and beingopen at its central vertical portion to form a chamber from which anair-channel leads into the sealing chamber of the machine.

3. In a machine of the character described,

a platen-head for applying caps to jars and the like having therein achamber confining a body of pressure resisting substance displaceable toa limited extent therein, and a plunger depending from said head exposedat its upper end to said substance and at its lower end being adapted toengage and press the cap onto the jar, said head having a cylinder forsaid plunger, and said plunger when the head is lowered topress itagainst the cap, being adapted at its upper end to act against and beacted on by said substance, and said plunger consisting of an upperhead, a neck-portion depending therefrom and a presser-plate on thelower end of said neck and having an open central portion forming achamber to be closed at its lower end by the engagement of the presserplate with the cap being applied, an air-channel being provided toestablish communication between said chamber and the sealing chamber ofthe machine.

4. In a machine of the character described, a platen-head for applyingcaps to jars and the like having a top, sides, ends and bottom andforming therein a chamber for a confined body of pressure resistingsubstance displaceable to a limited extent within said chamber, saidbottom being formed with a plurality of vertical cylinders open at theirupper and lower ends, a series of plungers fitted to said cylinders andhaving'depending neck-portions carrying at their lower ends removablepresser plates to engage the caps and being greater in diameter thansaid neck-portions and a plate fastened to said bottom and having aseries of openings through which said neck-portions freely extend andwhich are less in diameter than said presser-plates and said cylindersand at their edges afiord stops to limit the upward movement of saidplungers, said plungers at their upper portion being adapted to engagesaid plate for limiting the downward movement of said plungers, and saidplungers when the head is lowered to carry said presser plates againstthe caps being adapted at their upper ends to independently act againstand be likewise acted on by said substance.

5. In a machine of the character described, a platen-head for applyingcaps to jars and the like having a top, sides, ends and bottom andforming therein a chamber for a confined body of pressure resistingsubstance displaceable to a limited extent within said chamber, saidbottom being formed with a plurality of vertical cylinders open at theirupper and lower ends, a series of plungers through which saidneck-portions freely ex tend and which are less in diameter thansaidpresser plates and said cylinders and at their edges afford sto s tolimit the upward movement of said p ungers, said plungers at their upperportion being adapted to engage said plate for limiting the downwardmovement of said plungers, and said plungers when the head is lowered tocarry said presser plates against the caps being adapted at their upperends to independently act against and be likewise acted on by saidsubstance, and said plungers being capable of independent limitedtilting action to accommodate themselves to jars whose lip edges may beout of horizontal.

Signed at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia,this 16th day of January, A. D. 1922.

HARRY INGRAM,

